Chocolate simnel cake

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160c/fan 140c/gas 3. Grease and line a deep 20cm round cake tin with baking paper. Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat well until pale and creamy.
2. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little flour if the mixture curdles. Stir in all the remaining cake ingredients to make a soft mixture. Mix well and spoon into the lined cake tin. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 150c/fan130c/gas 2 and bake for a further 1 ½ hours, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 1 hour then turn out and allow to cool completely.
3. Reserve a small piece of marzipan for the ribbon, then divide the remainder into 3 and roll into long thin ropes about 40cm long. Plait the three together and wrap around the top of the cake.
4. Mix the icing sugar together with 1-2 teaspoons water or enough to make a smooth thick icing. Pour onto the centre of the cake and allow to set. Roll out the remaining piece of marzipan and cut into a ribbon shape. Using food colouring, paint ‘simnel’ on the centre of the marzipan and place on the top of the cake. Decorate with flowers.